The original Soldiers Monument was built in
1870-71 to honor the Oberlinians who had died in the Civil War. It
was designed by Professor Charles Churchill, who taught architecture
and astronomy. The Monument was located at the south-east corner of
College and Professor, where the Conservatory currently stands.
Ceremonies were often held at the Monument on Memorial
Day.

Soldiers Monument and Sturges Hall, Photo courtesy of OHIO

In the 1930's, the monument was taken down to
prevent it from falling down, and in 1942-43, the tablets were
installed in a memorial wall in Wright Park (at the corner of Main
and Vine). Further plaques were added to honor Oberlinians who died
in World Wars One and Two, the Korean War, and the Vietnam
War.

The Inscriptions on the tablets and plaques are as
follows:

A: To the men of
Oberlin who have died in the service of our country.

B: Co. C., 7th OVI
[Ohio Volunteer Army, the regiment from
Oberlin]

Joseph H. W. Collins

Burford Jenkins

William Parmenter

Arthur C. Danforth

Edward G. Sackett

Orlando H. Worcester

Frederick M. Palmer

Lewis R. Cates

Cyrus P. Hamilton

Daniel S. Judson

Romaine J. Kingsbury

George R. Magary

Charles P. Bowler

James M. Rappleye

Edward P. Shepard

John J. Evers

Edward W. Goodsell

Stephen Kellogg

Harrison Lewis

Lt. Henry W. Lincoln

Harlan B. Cochran

Lt. Isaac G. Jones

H. Dwight Claghorn

Oliver C. Trembly

Capt. O. P. Brockway, 5th USCT

Lt. E. R. Smith, 5th USCT

Charles F. King

C:

Robert Burgett, 8th OVI

Martin Torrence, 8th OVI

William Bartlett, 8th OVI

Nathan H. Whitney, 41st OVI

Benoni B. West, 41st OVI

John C. Lenhart, 41st OVI

George S. Harris, 42nd OVI

Seth J. Porter, 43rd OVI

Gordon H. Porter, 60th OVI

John H. Beam, 60th OVI

Hiram K. Bedortha, 60th OVI

Patrick R. Nohilly, 65th OVI

Samuel M. DeForest, 69th OVI

Willis E. Baldwin, 87th OVI

Daniel S. Munger, 100th OVI

John B. Biddle, 101st OVI

Lucius C. Cole, 124th OVI

Ira Wade, 124th OVI

Henry A. Cowles, 150th OVI

George W. Reamer, 150th OVI

John Beach, 150th OVI

Edward Ells, 150th OVI

John Monroe, 150th OVI

William E. Leach, 150th OVI

Morris Plain, 176th OVI

Nathan Gray, 176th OVI

Alva Peabody, 176th OVI

D:

Theodore A. Tenney, 2nd OVC

Wilson Jeffries, 2nd OVC

John W. Devlin, 1st Colorado C

Elisha Gaskins, 5th Mass. C

Samuel C. Pettifer, 1st OVA

Edmund B. Costa, 1st OVA

Thomas Payl, 1st OVA

James Stone, 1st OVA

Reuben Turner, 3rd USCA

Franklin White, 2nd Mich. Bat.

James Matthews, 5th USCT

Henderson Taborn, 5th USCT

Capt. W. A. Pinney, 27th USCT

Nelson Sawyer, 27th USCT

Isaac Smith, 27th USCT

Scipio Torrence, 27th USCT

George Dudgeon, 27th USCT

Lt. W. P. Michener, 44th USCT

Richard Chambers, 88th USCT

Henry Clarke, 1st NY RI

Francis D. Ingersoll, 116th NY

William W. White

Lt. Sylvester S. Dillman

E:

Alonzo E. Pellett, 1st Kan.

William Black, 54th Mass.

Henry Real, 54th Mass.

Edward Williams, 54th Mass.

William Mitchell, 54th Mass.

Harrison Nichols, 54th Mass.

Oliver B. Ridgeway, 54th Mass.

John Tillman, 55th Mass.

New Year B. Morris, 178th OVI

George Hallauer, 15th KT

Henry A. Brewster

Archibald McArthur

Charles More

Henry Sands

Edward M. West

Capt. William H. Connet

Lt. Herbert Kenaston

F: Esteeming courage to be freedom and
freedom to be happiness, do not weigh too nicely the perils of war.
-Pericles